Mail-box.



PATBNTED MAR. '31 A. G. STINSON.

MAIL BOX.

ARPLIGATION FILED m3. zo, 1962.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

ARTHUR e. sTINsoN, `or wEs'r SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN.

' MAIL-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent N o. 723,939, dated March 31, 1903.'

Application filed March 29,1902. Serial No. 100,615. (No model.)

To all whom, it 'may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. STInsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Superior, in the county of Douglas and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is a speci-V cation. i y

This invention lrelates to receptacles adapted to be attached to doors or door-casings for the reception of mail-matter, and has for its object the production 'of a receptacle which may be reversed in position to adapt it to be attached to either side of the door or doorway-openin g.

Further objects of the invention will appear i in the annexed description and be defined and specified in the claims following.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical sec'- tion on the line @c at of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on'the line y y of Fig. 2.

The receptacle is intended to be attached to a door next to the casing or to the casing 'next to the door, as preferred, or as the construction of the housemay require.

For the purpose of illustration the receptacle is shown attached to the door next to the casing, the door being represented conventionally at 10, the casing at 11, and one of the hinges at 12 of the usual construction.

The receptacle consists of an oblong casing 13, open onv one side and provided at the ends with letter-slits 14 15, and hinged covers 16 17 and with a spring-frame 18 to support papers, magazines, and packages too bulkyto be inserted into the receptacle through the letter-slits.

As before stated, one side of the receptacle is open, and this open side will be placed next to the door or casing, as the ca se may be, so that when the door is closed the receptacle will be likewise closed.

The receptacles should be placed next to the hinged side of the door, so as to oder as little obstruction to the door or the doorwayopening as possible,and it is necessary that the receptacle should be made reversible to adapt it to right or left hand doors. To meet this requirement, both ends of the receptacle are alike, so that one of the letter-slits 14 or 15 will always be uppermost; but provision must be made whereby the cover 16 or 17 which for the time being is downward shall be locked to prevent the letters from falling out, and this locking means must be operative from the inside only of the receptacle to prevent surreptitious extraction of the mail. A lockingmeans ot' this character is shown and is constructed as follows: Attached, respectively, to the interior of each of the covers 16 and 17 are loops 19 and 20, disposed to project through the slits 14 and 15 when the cov-v ers are closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and'3. These loops 19 and 2O are designed to receive a locking bar or catch 2l, which will be thrust through the loop 19 or 20 which for the time being is downward, according as the receptacle is attached to the right or left hand ot' the door, to lock the lower cover and prevent.

it from being opened, as hereinafter shown. By this simple means the receptacle is readily reversed to adapt it to the right or left hand of the door and the letter-slit whichfor the time being is downward securely locked closed.

The covers 16 and 17 will be formed to not pass beyond the vertical line of their hinges when open, sojthat they will always be selfclosing by gravity to obviate any danger of the covers being accidentally left open.

In the outer face of the receptacle are formed means for supporting one or more name-plates, consisting of an aperture 22, having a glass or other transparent plate 23 behind it and with a name-card 24 in the inside of the glass, the card and glass held in place by aninclosing frame 25, open at the end next the open end of the receptacle, the open end of the frame 25 having an extension 26, adapted to be bentover the card and glass to prevent their removal.

When the receptacle is reversed, vthe nameplates will also be reversed, which may be readily done .bybending the extensions 26 inward, removing the cards, reversing them, and returning them to the frames 25 and 'again bending the extensions over the open ends of the frames.

Apertures 27 will-be formed in the inner walls of the frames 25 opposite the holdingscrews 28, by which the receptacle is secured in place,'to provide for the insertion of a screw-driver to actuate the screws, first having removed the glass guard and llame-cards IOO from the frame. By this simple means the receptacle may be secured in place Wholly from the interior and the holding means rendered inaccessible from the outside While the device is in use by the glass plates 23 and cards 24.

Generally two of the name-plates will be employed, as shown; but one or more may be employed, as required.

By using two of the name-plates and accompanyingapertures comparativelynear the ends of the receptacle provision is made for distributing the holdingscrews 28 over a larger area of the receptacle to increase their effectiveness, and this is an advantage and adds materially to the eiciency of the device. Another advantage gained by this arrangement is that when the upper aperture is used to accommodate an end plate the lower aperture may be used as a peep-hole through which it may be ascertained whether or not the box is empty. I am, of course, aware that such peep-holes are common in letter-boxes; but I am not aware that a reversible letterbox has been made with apertures that may be used interchangeably as peep-holes and to accommodate the name plates or cards.

The device may be made of any size or capacity desired and of any desired material and ornamented by any fanciful designs.

The device may be modified in minor particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacriicing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A letter-receptacle open at one side and with openings in the ends, closures for said end openings opening outward, a'loop attached to each of said closures and extending through its respective end opening, and a locking-bar adapted to alternatelyengage said loops, substantially as set forth.

2. A letter-receptacle open at one side and with openings for the insertion of letters, one or more apertures in the outer Wall of said receptacle, supporting-frames covering said apertures from inside said receptacles, transparent plates supported by said frames and forming closures to said apertures, namecards in said frames in the rear of said transparent plate, and extensions on said frame adapted to form yieldable closures to said frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR G. S'IINSON. 

